Whether you were bothered by Google’s unusually tardy Pixel 9a release or not, it is once again hard to recommend the 6.3-inch mid-ranger as the best phone available for Android purists. Even if you can’t normally afford any of the other members of the Pixel 9 family, the latest Amazon deals will help keep your spending to a minimum… and make you wonder what even is the point of the 9a (at least at its regular price).
That’s right, the ultra-high-end (and deliciously compact) Pixel 9 Pro is not the only 2024 Google-made smartphone heavily discounted at the time of this writing. The “vanilla” Pixel 9 is also marked down by a substantial $200 in an entry-level configuration with 128GB internal storage space and an even heftier 250 bucks in a 256 gig variant.
At these prices, the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 is still a little more expensive than the 6.3-inch Pixel 9a, but upon carefully analyzing the two’s key specs and features, you’re likely to find that the non-a-branded device provides far superior bang for your buck.
That’s mainly due to the exceptional 50 and 48MP cameras slapped on the slightly costlier phone’s back, but also thanks to its towering 12GB RAM count (in combination with both 128 and 256GB storage) and a super-premium metal-and-glass build.
Granted, the Pixel 9a remarkably manages to squeeze a larger battery into a slightly lighter body, but that key advantage is largely offset by a thicker profile, thicker screen bezels, and an overall less elegant design.
At its newly reduced prices, the compact Pixel 9 undercuts the smallest member of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 family (by a lot) while costing just a little more than the considerably humbler Galaxy S24 FE. Before pulling the trigger, of course, you may want to keep in mind that the undoubtedly improved Pixel 10 is not very far on the horizon.
But that bad boy’s upgrades are likely to be marginal (at best), and I’m pretty sure its price will start at $799 and see no notable discounts until Black Friday around seven months down the line. So, no, you’re unlikely to regret your purchase if you do decide to go for a Pixel 9 today.
